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Caught a Virgin Queen... What can I do with her?

I did a cut out today... Caught a queen. I am thinking she is a virgin queen that hatched from one of the swarm cells from inside the hive. I am thinking this because the bees could care less about her. A little feeding and tending but they aren't drawn to her and marching to her like some of the cut out videos on youtube.

If she is a virgin queen, can I do anything with her? i.e. put her in a queenless hive? or ?

Re: Caught a Virgin Queen... What can I do with her?

Also be sure, if you can, to insert a donor frame with some open brood and EGGS as an insurance policy. I just caught a swam a few weeks ago that had what I suspected was a virgin queen heading it. I found her, the only queen I could find, the next day I marked her. The weather went wacky with huge swings in overnight and daytime temps and low and behold that insurance paid off. I inspected them 10 days later and had queen cells galore. I suspect that virgin went out and either got caught in the weather or a beak.

Re: Caught a Virgin Queen... What can I do with her?

Excellent point. I just "assumed" one would add a frame of brood, some open. My bad Added a V queen to a nuc with only capped brood. They all emerged before she mated, overcrowded the nuc and they left. LOL Lesson learned
Rick

Re: Caught a Virgin Queen... What can I do with her?

Originally Posted by BackYardPhenomena

How do I introduce a queen that is in a clip catcher? They can still get to her, wont they be defensive towards her pheromones?

If you are doing a cut out or hiving a swarm when the queen is from that group of bees, you can put her in the hive in a clip. That holds the bees in that box because their queen can't fly away until you loose her. If you are introducing a queen to a group of bees that are queenless but recognize her as a stranger, you need an introduction cage (there are many designs). HTH

LeeB
I try to learn from my mistakes, and from yours when you give me a heads up :)